Switch device



Feb.'28, 1939. H L 2,148,872

SWITCH DEVICE Filed May 22, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l fla /Zion" a c... I yiii Feb. 28, 1939. H. 1, NICHOLAS SWITCH DEVICE Filed May 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W a M? 1 J a o q a N. mu I I a M 3 m fl @wmm 4 am? I 4 EQEE @882 0 mmmmmmm i ammfimax w mmmmmxm ma ma a xammza 4 am max m a m w Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Burke & James, Inca,

tion of Illinois Chicago, 111., a corpora- Application May 22, 1937, Serial No. 144,237

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in switch devices particularly adapted, though not necessarily limited to that use, for instant control of an apparatus in connection with general pho- 5 tography, flood light, and other machinery with which it is used, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved switch of this character for use inconjunction with a pilot light, the switch embodying a plurality of plug sockets, one of which is used in conjunction with the pilot light, the switch operating to cause a supply of current to be delivered to the other socket and to cut off the supply therefrom, while the supply to the pilot light socket remains constant, this being preferably accomplished by arranging the sockets in parallel.

A further object is to provide an improved switch of this character embodying a casing formed preferably of cast material, so shaped that the switch mechanism and plug sockets may be readily encased therein without the necessity of machining or finishing the parts, thereby not only reducing the cost of production but also the cost of assembling.

A further object is to provide improved means for preventing water or liquid from flowing into the casing and contacting the terminals.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects 'as will appear, the invention consistsin the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the casing withall of the mechanism removed and with the top separated therefrom.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view of the top of the casing.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the casing and the switch mechanism assembled and with the top of the casing removed.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4-4 Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of a portion of the lower face of the bottom of the casing.

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l designates generally an open casing or housing provided with a base H which projects for a considerable distance beyond one of the walls of the casing. These parts may be of any desired size and configuration and constructed of any suitable material and the lower face of the bottom of the casing and of the extension H is preferably roughened or serrated as at I2 to provide separated projections which bite into the floor to assist in maintaining the casing against movement upon its support.

If desired, the casing may be anchored to the fioor or to its support by means of screws or bolts passing through suitable openings I3.

Within the casing I0 is arranged an upright partition 14 which terminates short of the top of the casing and is spaced from the end walls 15, the partition 14 being disposed preferably in the center of the casing and also spaced from the side walls thereof. A portion of this partition I4 is cut away as at 16, for a purpose to be described, and an opening H in alinement with such cut away portion 16 is provided in one of the walls I0 of the casing.

Spaced upright ribs or projections I8 are provided on the base of the casing and extend from the inner face of the front wall of the casing to the partition l4 and are laterally spaced from each other. A rib or projection 19 is also provided on the bottom of the casing intermediate the ribs or projections l8, and oo-operates with the base of the partition H to form an open recess 20 which has communication with the opening I! in the wall in of the casing. On the outside of the wall Ill and adjacent the opposite ends of the opening I! are projections 21 provided for a purpose to be described.

The end walls 15 of the casing are provided with recesses 22 opening through the top of the Walls and are preferably formed by cut away portions in the wall. The lower base of these cut away portions 22 are preferably'of a semicircular configuration of a diameter less than the width of the opening 22 to provide shoulders 24 on each side of theportions 23.

The top 25 oi'the casing is of a configuration to conform to the contour of the casing and is provided with depending flanges 26 at the opposite ends thereof. These fianges 25 are of a configuration to fit within the cut away portions 22 in the walls I of the casing and the extremities 21 of the flanges are adapted to engage and rest upon the shoulders 24. A semi-circular recess 28 is provided in the lower extremity of each of the flanges 26 and these recesses 28, when the cover is in position on the casing, co-operate with the portions 23 in the casing walls to form bearings or seats, for a purpose to be described.

When the cover is in place on the casing it may be secured against removal by means of suitable fastening bolts or screws passing through openings 29 in the end walls 15 of the casing and into openings 30 in flanges 3| on the cover 25, and which flanges 3! are adapted to stand within the casing and in proximity to the adjacent wall.

The numeral 32 designates plug sockets of the ordinary and usual construction and these sockets are adapted to be seated respectively in the seats 23 in the end walls E5 of the casing and when the cover is in position, the sockets will also project into the open recesses 28 in the flanges 26. It will therefore be apparent that it is not necessary to machine these parts to make them fit as the sockets will be readily seated in the recesses 23. If desired, and in order to maintain the sockets against displacement when the cover 25 is removed, anchor members 33 preferably in the form of straps are secured to the respective sockets and the ends of these straps or anchors are secured by means of fastening bolts 34 passing through the casing wall and engaging the proper, which may be of any desired or suitable construction, suffice it to say that it is a snap switch and embodies a body portion 35 to which terminals 36-3'! are secured. A contact member 33 co-operates with the terminals 3t-3l to open and close the circuit as is usual in switches of this character.

A switch arm 39 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as at 40 and one or more coil springs 4i co-operates with the switch arm 39 tending normally to move it in one direction, that is, in a direction to cause the contact member 38 to move out of engagement with the terminals 363'l and thereby interrupt the circuit.

.All of the parts of the switch proper are mounted upon the body portion 35 as a unitary structure and this switch proper is placed in the casing in a position that the body portion 35 may be anchored or secured to the partition [4 in any suitable manner, such as by means of screws or bolts 42.

The switch arm-39 extends to the other side of the partition it through the cut away portion it of the partition and the extremity of the switch arm is disposed to project above the recess or channel 20 in the casing.

The terminal 36 of the switch is connected by means of a conductor 43 to one side of one of the sockets 32, while the terminal 3'? is connected by means of a conductor 64 to one side of the other socket 32.

The line "55 is connected by means of the conductor 4's to the same terminal and side of the socket 32 to which the conductor 43 is connected, while the conductor 4'! of the line is connected to the terminal 48 on the other side of one of the sockets 32.

The sockets 32 are connected by means of a conductor 39, one end of which is secured to the terminal 38 while its other end is secured to the terminal 56 of the other socket 32.

Thus it will be seen that, assuming the switch to be open and in the position shown 'in Figure 4 and in the wiring diagram in Figure 7, the current from the line will fiow only through one of the sockets 32 because the open switch is arranged in the connection between the line and the other socket 32. Therefore, while the switch is open the current will only flow through one of the sockets 32. When, however, the switch is operated to close the circuit from the line to the other socket 32, the current will flow through both of the sockets, but when the switch is again opened, the current will flow only through one of the sockets.

Thus it will be seen that the switch will interrupt the circuit through one of the sockets while the flow of the current through the other socket will remain constant.

The numeral 5| indicates a treadle or manually operated device which may be of any desired size and configuration and is pivotally supported intermediate its ends as at 52. This treadle 5| is provided with a foot engaging portion and a reduced portion 53, the latter preferably terminating in an enlarged portion 54. The treadle is pivotally mounted between the ears or projections 2i, and the reduced portion 53 extends through the openings ll inthe wall [0 and projects into the recess or channel 20 and beneath the free end of the switch arm or lever 39. The springs 41 tend normally to move the switch arm in a direction to depress the extremity 54 of the treadle and raise the outer extremity.

With this construction it will be manifest that the switch arm 39 will be operated by depressing the free end of the treadle 5!, such as by stepping upon the same. This will raise the end 53 and will rock the switch arm 39 to cause the contact member 38 to snap to engage the terminals 353l, the switch arm being moved against the stress of the springs 4!. As soon as the foot or pressure is relieved from the free end of the treadle the springs 4| forcing the freeend of the switch arm downwardly will depress the free end 54 of the treadle 5i and raise the outer extremity. In other words, when the treadle Si is depressed the switch arm will be actuated to close the switch. When pressure is relieved from L ously maintained active or one of the sockets may be constantly maintained active and the other intermittently maintained active at the will of the operator.

. The upper surface of the treadle may be serrated or roughened if desired.

By the provision of the channel or recess 28, it will be manifest that any liquid which might fall upon the switch casing and flow through the opening l7, will be trapped or confined Within the recess or channel 20, and this will prevent the liquid from contacting with any of the electrical connections which might tend to short circuit the same. With'this improved apparatus it will be manifest that a simple and durable construction will be produced and that by reason of the fact that the casing may be cast, and being so shaped that it is not necessary to machine or otherwise finish any of the parts to receive the various elements of the device, a comparatively cheap product will be produced, and the cost of manufacture will be materially reduced. At the same time the parts are readily accessible and any of the parts may be readily removed without dismantling the entire mechanism.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:--v

l. A switch casing embodying a chamber hav ing an open top, plug socket receiving recesses opening through the tops of opposite walls of the chamber and provided with open seats at the bottoms thereof, an upright partition in the chamber spaced from the walls of the chamber which are intermediate the recessed walls, the base of the chamber extending beyond the outer face of one of said walls, there being an opening in the last said wall adjacent said base, a closure for the chamber, and flanges depending from said closure, adapted to enter and form closures for said recesses, and shoulders in said recesses against which portions of the extremities of the respective flanges rest, there being open recesses in the lower ends of said flanges cooperating with the open seats in said recesses for holding plug sockets.

2. A switch casing embodying a chamber having an open top, plug socket receiving recesses opening through the tops of opposite walls of the chamber and provided with open seats at the bottoms thereof, an upright partition in the chamber spaced from the walls of the chamber which are intermediate the recessed walls, the base of the chamber extending beyond the outer face of one of said walls, there being an opening in the last said wall adjacent said base, a closure for the chamber, and flanges depending from said closure, adapted to enter and form closures for said recesses, and shoulders in said recesses against which portions of the extremities of the respective flanges rest, there being open recesses in the lower ends of said flanges 00- operating with the open seats in said recesses for holding plug sockets, the lower face of said base being roughened to maintain the casing against slipping upon a support.

3. A switch casing embodying a chamber having an open top, plug socket receiving recesses opening through the tops of opposite walls of the chamber and provided with open seats at the bottoms thereof, an upright partition in the chamber spaced from those walls of the chamber which are intermediate the recessed walls, there being an opening through said partition and also through one of the said intermediate walls in alinement with the opening in the said partition, a switch arm extending through the opening in said partition and terminating in the space between the partition and the said intermediate wall which is provided with the said opening, and a treadle pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, one end of the treadle extending through the opening in said intermediate wall and terminating beneath the adjacent end of said switch arm.

4. A switch casing embodying a chamber having an open top, plug socket receiving recesses opening through the tops of opposite walls of the chamber and provided with open seats at the bottoms thereof, an upright partition in the chamber spaced from those walls of the chamber which are intermediate the recessed walls, there being an opening through said partition and also through one of the said intermediate walls in alinement with the opening in the said partition, the bottom of said chamber extending for a substantial distance beyond the last said wall, a switch arm extending through the opening in said partition and terminating in the space between the partition and the said intermediate wall which is provided with the said opening, and a treadle pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the extended portion of said bottom, one end of the treadle extending through the opening in said intermediate wall and terminating beneath the adjacent end of said switch arm.

HAROLD I. NICHOLAS. 

